Socket wrench



A. A. CRIMP SOCKET WRENCH oct. 23, 1923. 1,471,451

Filed May 25 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 @di \f Oct. 23 1923.

A. A; cRxMP 1471451 SOCKET WRENCH Filed May 25 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 y ll JJ nali-gi J VR - I' j L l Q l 1,471 451 oct. 23, 1923. A A. CRIME SOCKET WRENCH Filed May 25 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 reame om. 2e, ieee.

unirse PATENT oFFicE.

ALFRED A. CRIMP, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SOCKET WRENCH.

Application led May 2.5, A1922. Serial No. 563,492.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, ALFRED A. CRIMP, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Socket Wrenches, of which the following is 'a description.

My invention relates to improvements in socket wrenches and more particularly to a l unitary socket wrench capable of operating on nuts or bolt heads or the like of varying.

sizes.

The invention has among its objects the production of a device of the kind described which will be simple, convenient, compact,

ycharacters indicate like or correspondingy parts,

'Fig 1 is an elevation of my device; Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section similar to that shown in Fig. 2, illustrating the device in operation;

Fig. 5V is a section substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a section substantially on the line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a section substantially on the line 7-7 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of one of the series of sockets; v

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of another of said sockets;

Fig. 10 is an end view of the socket shown in Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary/,section showing the manner of securing the springs to tbe sockets;

Fig. 12 is a longitudinal section of a modied form, of wrench;

Fig. 13 is a Section taken substantially on the line 13-13 of Fig. 12; and

Fig. 14 is a fragmentary section showing the wrench in use.

-In the drawings, wherein I havel illustrated the preferred embodiments of my invention, 1 indicates an outer'socket or casing of a suitable shape to receive a nut or the like. A stem 2 is secured to the casing by any suitable means, as, for instance, by welding, screw threading or the like, said stem preferably having a plurality of annular shoulders or steps 3 therein at its inner end. Slidable within the casing 1f is a series of nested sockets 4, 5 and 6, of prolglfressivelv decreasing size to accommodate nuts or bolt heads of various sizes and shape. Each of the sockets 4, 5 `and 6 has one or more slots 8, 9 and l0 respectively, through the side wall thereof, said slots extending longitudinally of the parts. Projecting inwardly from the casing 1 is one or more pins 11 slidable in the slots 8 and 9, and the center socket 5 has one or more pins 12 projecting inwardly to slidably engage in the slot 10 of the socket 6.

By means of the pin andslot arrangement the parts further are limited in their movement outwardly of the casing, aligning the Outer ends of the sockets', as shown in Fig. 3.

Preferably secured to the inner ends of the sockets 5 and 6 by welding, brazing or the like, are one or more lugs or projections 13 having openings or apertures there through to receive the ends of coil springs, as shown. The coil springs 14, 15 and and 16 are provided, one for each of the sockets 4, 5 and 6, and arranged between said sockets and the stem l2. The outer spring engages the outer shoulder formed by the casingr and stem, the inner end fitting into the space between the casing 1 and the socket 5 and bearing on the inner end of the socket 4 to yieldably press it outwardly of the casing. The springs are of progressively decreasing diameter, and concentrically arranged and may be of progressively varying strengths or tensions decreasing from the largest to the smallest. In this way it will require a. greater thrust to compress one spring a (lli4 given distance than the next weaker spring. The spring 15 engages at one end in the intermediate shoulder ot the stem, while the spring 16 engages the stem at the inner shoulder. The outer ends ot' the springs 15 and 16 may be slidably inserted through the apertures formed in the lugs 13 at the ends of the sockets 5 and 6 to prevent their getting'out of position.

In operation, the unitary device is placed above the nut 17 t0 be turned and pressed down, whereat the socket.member smaller than the nut will be pressed inwardly against the spring pressure while the next larger or proper sized socket member will engage said nut,as shown in Fig. 4. It will be noted that whenever the socket 5 is moved inwardly, the pin 1Q will cause the socket G to be moved together with the socket 5 l In case that a nut of a size to tit the socket 5, for example, is to be engaged. then upoirapplving the wrench, only the socket 6 will be moved inwardly to its inoperative position. all of the sockets are open at their inner ends so that the bolt or any other projecting part adjacent the nut may extend into the casing for its full length and without obstruction or interference ot an)1 sort therewithin.

In the modification shown in Figs. 1244 the sockets 4. 5 and G have webs 19. 19 and Q0 respectively at their inner ends and a web 21. is arranged at the inner end ot the casing 1. The. springs, 14, 15 and 16 preterably ot decreasing tensions are arranged substantially as previously described except that they do not surround one another and bear at both ends against the. web members.

The socket members 4, 5 and (i are slotted as bet'ore and a pin 22 is arranged diametricallv through said slots and casing.

In the claims it is to be understood that the term "nut" includes any type. ot nut or bolt head or similar structure.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifications may be made in the same without departing from the spirit of my invention; hence I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact torm. construction. arrangement and combination ot parts herein shown and described or uses mentioned.

lt is to he especiall)T noted thataannam What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A Wrench comprising a stem, a socket casing, a series of sockets slidably nested in said casing, and means between said parts for permitting said sockets to move automatically to accommodate various sized nuts, said means comprising coil springs each having one end engageable with said stem and the other end secured to one of said sockets, and pins secured to alternate sockets andcasing and slidahle in slots in said sockets to limit the relative longitudinal movement and align the outer ends ot' said sockets.

2. A wrench comprising a stem, a socket casing, a series ot sockets slidably nested therein, and means between said parts for permitting said sockets to move automatically to accommodate various sized nuts, said means comprising apertured lugs secured to the inner ends ot' said sockets, coil springs having one end engageable with said stem and the other end insertable through said lugs, and pins secured to alternate sockets and casing and slidable in slots in said sockets to limit the relative longitudinal movement and align the outer ends of said sockets.

3. Awvrench comprising a. stem, a socket casing having a series of annular stepped shoulders, a series of sockets slidably nested in said casing, each having an elongated slot through its side wall and means he tween said parts for permitting said sockets to move automatically to accommodate various sized nuts, said means comprising apertured lugs secured to the inner ends of said sockets, coil springs ot progressively vary ing diameters in said casing, each having one end engageable with one ot' said shoulders of the same. and the other end bearing on the inner end of one of: the sockets and insertable through the lug thereon and pins secured to alternate sockets and casing and slidable in said slots to limit the relative longitudinal movement and align the outer ends of said sockets.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses ALFRED A. CRIMI).

Witnesses:

JOHN W. HILL, RUTH M. EPHRAIM. 

